The Ancestral Hall of the Zhai Clan

　　    Known as the No. 1 Ancestral Hall in China — the Ancestral Hall of the Zhai Clan is located northeast of Taohuatan in Jing County. Constructed during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, it faces south with five bays and three courtyards, built in imitation of an imperial ancestral temple. It boasts a grand scale, covering an architectural area of approximately 3,524 square meters (including auxiliary rooms, with a total floor space of 6,700 square meters).

　　    Legend has it that in 1607, a member of the Zhai family named Zhai Guoru achieved the rare distinction of being both a literary and martial top scholar, earning him the title of Grand General Zhenfu from Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty. General Zhai was ordered to quell a rebellion in Yunnan. Upon successfully returning victorious, he was betrayed and killed by treacherous officials. To honor his loyalty and contributions to the nation, Emperor Wanli bestowed upon the clan a plaque inscribed with "Hall of Loyalty and Filial Piety." This event caused a great sensation across southern China. Later, many places attempted to replicate the Zhai Clan Ancestral Hall, but none matched its scale.

　　    In front of the hall stand stone pillars, drum-shaped stones, and stone lions. Inside, there is a front hall, a central courtyard, an ancestral worship hall, and a bedroom building. The foundation is paved with granite, and the structure employs precious woods such as ginkgo, rosewood, and nanmu. Both upper and lower wooden and stone components feature exquisite carvings. The hall once housed 108 plaques bestowed by emperors, generals, and local officials. Flanking the main hall were over ten auxiliary rooms used for meetings and management. The main gate bore a horizontal plaque reading “Famed Clan of the South,” while the ancestral worship hall displayed a red-background, gold-character wooden plaque inscribed with “Hall of Loyalty and Filial Piety.” During ancestral worship ceremonies, the hall could accommodate up to 108 banquet tables, showcasing its grandeur.

　　    The construction of the Zhai Clan Ancestral Hall involved many touching stories. Legend says that during the building process, the main beam could not be erected no matter what. One day, a beggar old man came by, begging for food from the craftsmen. Everyone refused and even tried to drive him away, but one young worker, feeling sorry for the old man, secretly gave him some food. The old man, seeing the young worker’s kindness and sensing he would achieve great things, handed him an axe and told him that whenever he faced a difficulty, striking east three times and then west three times would make the problem go away. When the beam still wouldn’t fit, the young worker, growing desperate, decided to try the trick. His master scoffed, “If I can’t do it, how could you?” But the worker insisted, and the master let him have his way. The young worker aligned the wooden joint and, following the old man’s advice, struck east three times — it fitted. Then he struck west three times — the other side fitted as well. Thus, the main beam was finally in place. Who was that beggar old man? None other than Lu Ban in disguise.

　　    In 1997, Mr. Luo Zhewen, Deputy Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, visited Jing County and praised the Zhai Clan Ancestral Hall as the “No. 1 Ancestral Hall in China,” happily inscribing the plaque himself. The ancestral hall has been featured multiple times on national and provincial television. In May 1998, the People's Government of Anhui Province designated it as a Provincial-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.